Five Ways Cats are Accidentally Poisoned

There are a lot of potential hazards for cats that can be found even in cat households. In part, this is because cats can fall victim to things that a human would shrug off, both because we are susceptible to different things and because we are much bigger than they are. As a result, cat owners might want to look up some of the ways that their feline companions can get accidentally poisoned so that they can take preventative measures as well as come up with a reaction plan in the event that such a thing happens to their cat. Here are five ways that a cat can get accidentally poisoned:

1. Medication

A lot of human medication can be poisonous for cats. Some of these medications are relatively uncommon, with examples ranging from antidepressants to anti-cancer medications. Other examples can be found in a high percentage of households out there, seeing as how they are things such as vitamins, pain relievers, and cold medicine. Due to this, cat owners need to make sure that their medications have been secured from their cats, which means putting them in secure containers that are situated somewhere that their feline companions can’t get into.

2. Houseplants

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they can’t survive without meat. However, it isn’t uncommon for cats to take a bite out of plants for one reason or another, which can be a huge issue if those plants happen to be one of the numerous species that are poisonous to them. Some examples include but are not limited to azaleas, daffodils, lilies, geraniums, and tomato plants. Due to this, cat owners need to keep a couple of things in mind. First, they might not want to plant anything that is poisonous for their cats indoors. Second, even if they let their cats out of their homes, they might want to keep a close eye on them to make sure that they won’t come into contact with anything that is potentially dangerous. This is particularly important because cats can come into contact with pesticides by carelessly munching on plants when they are outside.

3. Human Food and Beverages

Different species handle different foods and beverages in different manners. In other words, there are some human foods and beverages that can pose a serious threat to a cat’s continuing well-being, which can come as a horrible shock for a cat owner who was just indulging their feline companion. Some examples of such dangerous foods and beverages include grapes, chocolate, anything containing alcohol, and anything containing caffeine. There is nothing wrong with cat owners enjoying these things on their own, but it does mean that they will need to put extra care and consideration into making sure that their cats won’t come into contact with them.

4. Pesticides

Some pesticides can be just as dangerous for cats as they are for whatever it is that they are supposed to kill. This is particularly true because cats are relatively small creatures when compared to humans, meaning that it can be very easy to overlook potential threats to them because of a common assumption that what is fine for us will be fine for our pets as well. Luckily, there is a pretty simple and straightforward solution to this particular problem that should neutralize most cases, which would be checking out the labels on the pesticides to make sure that they can be used in cat households. Unfortunately, this isn’t perfect, seeing as how pesticides can travel a fair amount of distance from neighboring properties under certain circumstances.

5. Wild Animals

Generally speaking, household cats aren’t going to munch on a lot of pests that have natural poisons. However, it should be remembered that it is possible for them to munch on pests that have come into contact with pesticides, which can cause those substances to accumulate in their bodies. Once again, this is an issue that can be prevented by checking the labels on pesticides. Moreover, if cat owners know that other people in the neighborhood are planning to make use of pesticides for whatever reason, they might want to keep their cats at home for a while to minimize their chances of coming into contact with said substances.

About The Author

Nat Berman

Nat is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Uncoached Corporation and all its properties. His primary roles are managing editorial, business development, content development, online acquisitions, and operations.
Uncoached began in 2007 with one site and a goal of creating content that was clear, concise, worth reading, entertaining, and useful. Since then the portfolio has grown to 8 properties covering a wide array of verticals including business, personal finance, real estate, architecture, television, movies, entertainment, video games, lifestyle, pets, and more.